The best walks and hikes around Otonabee-South Monaghan

The Scenic River Road Trail used to be known as part of the Peterborough-Lakefield Rotary Greenway Trail. It stretches 15.6 kilometres from Trent University's Symons Campus to downtown Lakefield. The entire ride is scenic with waterfront views as the trail traces the east bank of the Otonabee River. The trail is made up of flat, smooth crushed gravel, and it is very easy to navigate. In winter, the trail is covered with snow but open to fat tire biking and cross-country skiing.

This is the Scenic River Road Trail's southern terminus and trailhead. Here you will find maps, benches and a covered picnic table. There is parking in Lot Q at Trent University's Symons Campus, but it is not free.

The Scenic River Road Trail stretches from Trent University to Lakefield. Here, in Lakefield, is where it becomes the Lakefield Trail. Lakefield is a small town that is popular for the scenic Lakefield Trail, Lock 26 on the Trent-Severn Waterway, and boutique shops in the downtown area. Before Europeans arrived the land belonged to the Mississauga First Nations, and when settlers came locks were built along with a railroad for manufacturing.

Jackson Park is a beautiful green space in the heart of Peterborough, often referred to as the city’s Central Park, designed between 1894 and 1895 by local engineer John Belcher. The park is a long, winding oasis along Jackson Creek, with a picturesque pond, open grassy areas, woodland trails, a playground, and picnic tables, making it a great spot to spend a few hours soaking up the natural beauty of one of Peterborough’s most beloved parks.

The Pagoda Bridge is a charming covered bridge over Jackson Creek, situated at the south end of Dixon Mill Pond in Jackson Park in the heart of Peterborough. Built between 1894 and 1895, it's a lovely example of Victorian architecture, with a distinctive bell cast roof that inspired its name. Designated as a heritage property by the City of Peterborough, the bridge is an important part of Jackson Park and its connection to the citizens who contributed to its restoration.

This lovely multi-use trail follows Jackson Creek through forested areas, open fields, and a beautiful wetland, providing a rich habitat for plants, wildlife, and birds the entire way. The route forms part of the Trans Canada Trail, connecting the Peterborough and Kawartha sections, beginning at Jackson Park, home to the historic Pagoda Bridge. In winter, the trail is machine-groomed for cross-country skiing, making it a great place to explore year-round.

This lookout along the Hazel Bird trail network opens onto wide views across the rolling Rice Lake Plains, with open grasslands, black oak savannah and sandy barrens stretching beyond the trail. Unlike the more enclosed forest hikes common in southern Ontario, the landscape here feels broad and exposed, with prairie style terrain and very little tree cover in some sections. A bench at the viewpoint makes it a good place to stop and take in the restored tallgrass ecosystem and surrounding hills.

Hazel Bird Side Trail passes through one of the few remaining tallgrass prairie and black oak savannah ecosystems in the Rice Lake Plains region, with open grasslands, sandy barrens and scattered oak woodland creating a very different landscape from the more typical forest hikes nearby. Depending on the season, the trail is known for wildflowers, grassland birds and wide open views across rolling terrain, with sections feeling more like prairie than southern Ontario woodland.